Kohanovskaya (N.S. Sokhanskaya) and her Fate in Russian Literature (to the 200th anniversary of the birth)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the creative heritage of Kokhanovskaya (Nadezhda Stepanovna Sokhanskaya (1823–1884)), an outstanding writer, a brilliant publicist, collaborator of all editions of I.S. Aksakov, the first female folklorist in Russia, and timed to coincide with her 200th anniversary. The author gives facts about the possible correspondence of this writer with Vl. Solovyov, it is reported on a documented exchange of letters between them, gives her review of Solovyov’s article “On the True Case”. The researcher highlights the main milestones of Kokhanovskaya’s life path, notes her belonging to the so-called “positive direction” in Russian literature. The article attempts to determine the place of the writer in Russian culture and her inherent gifts – the creation of her own language and artistic world, the resurrection of antiquity and a lively response to modern events, the combination of active and contemplative Christianity and the ability to present moral lessons without didacticism and sentimentality. In conclusion, the author informs about the academic collection of works and letters of Kokhanovskaya published by the Pushkin House (Institute of Russian Literature) since 2023.